3 Leagues UPDATE WEEK 13

THIS IS THE LAST WEEK of the Fantasy Football regular season. Teams are trying to make the playoffs and others are fighting for the right match-ups. Here's what's going on in the 3 connected leagues.
* means the team has clinched a playoff spot.

THE SHOW 3
Bottom 2 who miss the playoffs automatically move down to Minor League AND the team who loses all 3 playoff games.
*1. THE CHAMP 11-1 Trevor
*2. Kamikaze Beavers 8-4 Jacob
*3. Heanoandtheheat 7-5 Heanok
*4. Underdogs 6-4-2 Monte
*5. John's Vikes 7-5 John
*6. Kief's Chief's 6-6 Kevin
*7. Funkjamaramma's 5-6-1 Peter
8. Dr.Z 3-9 Mike
9. Islandlounger 3-9 Shane
10. Bree’s Team 2-9-1 Ed
THE SHOW Week 12 battles: Champ vs Dr.Z, Heano vs John's Vikes, Islandlounger vs KC Funk vs Bree's Team, Beavers vs Underdogs

Minor League 5
Top 3 teams in the playoffs move UP to THE SHOW. Bottom 2 teams in the standings move down to The Huddle.
*1. Rabbi 8-4 Trevor F
*2. La Maman De Chapman 7-5 Tyson
*3. Ass Kicking Time 7-5 Ronnie
*4. Beached Whales 7-5 Scott
5. Saints 6-6 Randy
6. Packers 6-6 Trevor K
7. Tatanka 6-6 Shawn
8. Hungry Hungry Hippos 6-6 Kevin
9. The Pain Train 5-7 Dan
10. Van Isle Warriors 5-7 Kimmo
11. Tomi's Gunn 5-7 Tomi
12. Hoggs 4-8 Paul
Minor League Week 12 battles: Packers vs De Chapman, Gunn's vs HHH, Van Isle vs Hoggs, Beached Whales vs Rabbi, Ass vs Tatanka, Pain Train vs Saints

The Huddle 2
The top 2 in the playoff final move up to Minor League next year.
*1. Vick's Doggy Daycare 9-3 John
*2. Fun Da Mentals 8-4
*3. Autobots 8-4 Steve
*4. Tsunami 7-5 Ken
*5. Packers 7-5 Trevor
*6. Destroyers 7-5 Dustin
*7. Deadnought 6-6 Patrick
8. East Side Bengals 4-8 Jaden
9. Team Jared 4-8 Jared
10. Dominate 4-8 Justin
11. Hail Larry 4-8 Taylor
12. The Pain Train 4-8 Nathan
The Huddles Week 12 battles: Packers vs Dreadnought, Autobots vs East Side Bengals, Doggy Daycare vs Team Jared, Hail Larry vs Dominate, Destroyers vs Fun Da Mentals, Tsunami vs The Pain Train

Grey Cup 2009 Sask vs Montreal

After living a full life, John Hufnagel, the Calgary Stampeder coach died.

When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Stampeder flag in the window.

"This house is yours for eternity," said God. "This is very special, not everyone gets a house up here." Huff felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house.

On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the corner. It was a gorgeous white and green three-story mansion with a 50-foot tall flagpole with an enormous Saskatchewan Roughrider flag, and in every window, he could see Saskatchewan fans.

Huff looked at God and said, "God, I'm not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was a good coach, ran a clean program, took the Stamps to the Grey Cup, and won a national championship."

God said, "So what do you want to know, John?"

Huff asked: "Well, why does Ken Miller, the Saskatchewan coach, get a better house than me?"

God chuckled and said, "John,John,... that's not Ken's house, that's mine."

I am not a huge CFL fan but I had to post this story because it made me laugh. I personally think Montreal is going to win on Sunday but I am cheering for Sask. GO RIDERS!

3 Leagues UPDATE going into WEEK 12

Before Week 12 with 2 regular season games to go before Fantasy Football Playoffs start in Week 14 here are the standings and match-ups for Week 12:
* means the team has clinched a playoff spot.

THE SHOW 3
Bottom 2 who miss the playoffs automatically move down to Minor League AND the team who loses all 3 playoff games.
*1. THE CHAMP 10-1 Trevor
*2. John's Vikes 7-4 John
*3. Kamikaze Beavers 7-4 Jacob
*4. Underdogs 5-4-2 Monte
*5. Heanoandtheheat 6-5 Heanok
*6. Funkjamaramma's 5-5-1 Peter
7. Kief's Chief's 5-6 Kevin
8. Dr.Z 3-8 Mike
9. Islandlounger 3-8 Shane
10. Bree’s Team 2-8-1 Ed
THE SHOW Week 12 battles: Champ vs Bree’s Heano vs Z Vikes vs KC Funk vs Beavers Islandloungers vs Underdogs

Minor League 5
Top 3 teams in the playoffs move UP to THE SHOW. Bottom 2 teams in the standings move down to The Huddle.
1. La Maman De Chapman 7-4 Tyson
2. Rabbi 7-4 Trevor F
3. Saints 6-5 Randy
4. Ass Kicking Time 6-5 Ronnie
5. Tatanka 6-5 Shawn
6. Beached Whales 6-5 Scott
7. Packers 5-6 Trevor K
8. Van Isle Warriors 5-6 Kimmo
9. Hungry Hungry Hippos 5-6 Kevin
10. The Pain Train 5-6 Dan
11. Hoggs 4-7 Paul
12. Tomi's Gunn 4-7 Tomi
Minor League Week 12 battles: Packers vs Hoggs De Chapman vs HHH Van Isle vs Beached Whales Rabbi vs Tatanka Ass vs Saints Pain Train vs Gunn's

The Huddle 2
The top 2 in the playoff final move up to Minor League next year.
*1. Your Idol 8-3 John
*2. Autobots 8-3 Steve
*3. Fun Da Mentals 7-4
4. Tsunami 6-5 Ken
5. Packers 6-5 Trevor
6. Destroyers 6-5 Dustin
7. Deadnought 5-6 Patrick
8. East Side Bengals 4-7 Jaden
9. Team Jared 4-7 Jared
10. Dominate 4-7 Justin
11. Hail Larry 4-7 Taylor
12. The Pain Train 4-7 Nathan
The Huddles Week 12 battles: Packers vs Team Jared Autobots vs Tsunami East Side Bengals vs Deadnought Your Idol vs Hail Larry Dominate vs Destroyers Fun Da Mentals vs The Pain Train

Week 9 BOLD Predictions

It's week 9 already. Fantasy pool wins seem to matter so much more now as we are getting closer to the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how it shakes down this week.

Here's some bold team predictions:
The Bears will go 4-0 at home when they beat the undefeated road warriors (3-0) Arizona Cardinals.
The Texans will make it close but the Colts go 8-0 as well as the Saints.
The Ravens get revenge when they become victorious over the division rival Bengals.
Seattle holds the Lions to 7 pts or less at Qwest Field with the 12th man.
Dallas has a huge win as they upset Philly on enemy turf.
Pitts destroys the Broncos on Monday Night Football making Orton to make a few key mistakes (2 int's at least).

Want more fantasy predictions? Listen to Touchdown Trev and Podcast Pete's FFF Episode 9 podcast that is on iTunes. In the iTunes Store search Fantasy Football Fumble and download Episode 9. It's free!

NHL Rd 2 PLAYOFF 2009 Kempner Predictions

Eastern Conference

Boston Bruins (1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (6)

The Hurricanes needed 7 games to beat the playoff experienced New Jersey Devils. The line of Chad LaRose/Eric Staal/Ryan Whitney are firing on all cylinders. Can they keep it up? Facing Martin Brodeur is no easy task and they got to him. The way the Hurricanes won game 7 was impressive but so disappointing for the Devils.

The Bruins on the other hand had full control over the struggling Habs. Backed by Tim Thomas and Zdeno Chara these Bruins are tough to beat. Offensively, they look good. But let’s not forget that these Hurric

anes have Stanley Cup experience. Cam Ward can take over and win games. I am banking on the Cup experienced team to win these series. There will be two ways the Hurricanes will come into this series: 1. Exhausted, battered and bruised from New Jersey. 2. Just getting warmed up and ready to battle.

I believe the rest will be a set back for the Bruins.

Prediction: Carolina wins in 6

Washington Capitals (2) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (4)

This series will have the most hype, excitement and battles. What else would you want? Crosby vs Ovechkin. All the yapping about celebrating after a goal means nothing now. Either one will be celebrating exuberantly when they score in the playoffs. The Caps showed a lot of confidence and resilience coming back from down 3-1 vs the Rangers. But they will need to play better to beat the former Stanley Cup finalists. Semin looked incredible and will need to be incredible to help support Alexander. The guy people seem to be forgetting is Malkin. He led th

e league in scoring and will be causing the Caps major match-up problems. This hard fought battle will result some great games. But I think it will come down to goaltending and Fluery has the nod over the rookie Varlamov. I still believe Pittsburgh is winning the Cup and the Caps aren’t looking the greatest.

Prediction: Pitts wins in 6

Western Conference

Detroit Red Wings (2) vs. Anaheim Ducks (8)

The Red Wings look great making the Blue Jackets look inexperienced. The Ducks on the other hand, surprised us all as they quite handedly took out the President Trophy Sharks. This series starts with many questions. Will the Ducks come hitting hard and throw the Red Wings a monkey wrench in their plans? Is t

his just going to be another day in the office for Detroit? Who’s going to have the better goaltending? Can Hiller handle the amount of shots the Wings are going to throw at him?  Both these teams are loaded with Stanley Cup experience. What’s exciting is the amount of young guns involved as key players in this series. The defensemen in this battle alone will be hall of famers. Remember this is Brian Burke’s old team. He did wonders by signing Scott Niedermayer I think the Ducks will give the Red Wings a run for their money but Osgood isn’t a 2 time champ for nothing.

Prediction: Detroit in 7

Vancouver Canucks (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (4)

The last time these guys met Vancouver won 4-0 but the third period had a line brawl. It should be explosive with Burish and Byfuglien as Burrows, Bieska and Mitchell cause problems as well. Coach Vigneault and coach Quenneville don’t get along either.

The Sedin twins need to keep producing and the RPM line needs to score a few goals as well. The line that is flying but needs to chip in a goal or two is the Berrnier/Raymond/Wellwood line. With the Blackhawks, Toews is on fire winning games with his goal scoring. Kane and Sharp need to step it up with some goals in order to win this series. They have good goaltending that will keep them in games as Khabibulin has one a Cup already. Luongo is playing really well and I could see a low scoring affair. Vancouver looks to get Salo, Sundin and Mitchell back healthy. The rest seems to have been in their advantage this time but we will see tonight how they come out to play.

The Canucks are blessed to have home ice as the Canucks are now on a 15-1-1 streak at home including the playoffs.

Prediction: Vancouver in 5

NHL PLAYOFF 2009 Kempner Predictions

If you're Canadian, you know that the NHL playoffs are here. It’s hard to do any kind of work or get much sleep as the anticipation for playoff hockey is growing. It’s always better when your team actually makes the playoffs (right Brian Burke) and it’s great to see many Canadian teams in the hunt. Let’s break down the 1^st round match-ups.

Western Conference:

1. San Jose vs 8. Anaheim

The Sharks are the president trophy winner while the Ducks barely stayed in the playoff hunt. Many are predicting the Ducks to upset saying that the Ducks is a hard-hitting team and San Jose is a bunch of goal scoring pretty boys. I think the biggest difference will be in goal. Nabakov vs Hiller? Nabakov every time. Dan Boyle is amazing on the blue line. To me the Ducks are too inconsistent.

Prediction: The Sharks in 6.

2. Detroit vs 7. Columbus

There would be no one debating this series if Detroit had good goaltending but Osgood and Conklin have not been stellar but subpar. The Blue Jackets are green as this is the 1^st postseason experience in the 9 year team history. The Red Wings on the other hand are the Stanley Cup champs and have a combined 1,793 games of playoff experience. Steve Mason has been incredible as a rookie. He will be in the talk for the Vezina. The Red Wings added Hossa to their roster this off season. I was going to pick the Blue Jackets but Mason is a rookie and remember Carry Price last year going into the playoffs and had a hard time with the jump into a 7 game series.

Prediction: Detroit wins in 5.

3. Vancouver vs 6. St.Louis

Did you know that the Blues are the hottest team in the league since January? This calls for the upset right? No way! The second hottest team since January is the Canucks. The Blues came out of nowhere and are going nowhere. Yeah I know Boyes, Backes, Berglund have been great as well as Chris Mason in net. But the Canucks are ready for a run and it starts with the lowly Blues. Sundin is going to earn some money finally and the twins are going to get a pay raise plus Luongo is a STUD (his playoff GAA is 1.77). Burrows and Kesler are made for the playoffs.

Prediction: Canucks in 5

4. Chicago vs 5. Calgary

Here’s the facts: #1. The Blackhawks are on fire right now and Calgary is struggling. #2 The young guns of Chicago have never seen a playoff game. Calgary is filled the veterans who have been on long playoff runs. #3 Calgary is banged up and who’s really going to be playing 100%.

Khabibulin has already beat Calgary in the playoffs when he won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay.

Prediction: Chicago is winning this series in 6.

Eastern Conference:

1. Boston vs 8. Montreal

The Bruins were 23 points ahead of the Canadiens this year also the season series was 5-0-1 in Boston’s favour. I am cheering for the Habs but unless Carry Price can stand on his head and they get some consistent scoring from Kovalev, Tanguay, and Koivu. Chara is a beast and Boston had 6 20 goal scorers.

Prediction: Bruins in 4 

2. Washington vs 7. NY Rangers

The Rangers have zero 30 goal scorers on their team and Capitals out scored the Rangers by 68 goals this year. Drury and Gomez need to step up and Lundqvist need to stand on his head to beat the Caps. The interesting playoff factor is the pest work of Avery and Marc Staal can they get Semin and Backstrom off their game. I don’t think Theodore has to be dominate for them to win this series. The Caps are going to pepper Lundqvist and he can’t save everything.

Prediction: Capitals in 6.

3. New Jersey vs 6. Carolina

This is a tough match-up.  The Hurricanes have been playing playoff must win hockey to make the playoffs will they be able to keep it up? These goalies both have Stanley Cup experience. The playoff experience both of these teams have is outstanding. I think it’s going to come down to two things New Jersey’s top 6 forwards and goaltending.

Prediction: New Jersey wins in 7.

4. Pittsburgh vs 5. Philadelphia

This is a rematch of last year’s conference finals. What a series and potentially the best in the 1^st round. A month ago I would be saying Philly hands down but the Penguins have come on really strong as of late taking home ice advantage. It’s going to be a hard-hitting affair. Penguins won the season series 4-2. Crosby and Richards don’t like each other. As much as I don’t like this pick I believe the Penguins will come out on top. For the Flyers to win the series Biron needs to be amazing.

Prediction: Penguins in 7.

So there you go in all it’s glory! I hope you enjoyed the analysis and predictions. I am not going with my heart but my head. So I will be cheering against many things I am predicting.

If I need to pick and Stanley Cup final and winner I would be taking Pittsburgh over San Jose. But I am cheering for a Philadelphia lose to the Canucks! 

Who will win the NFC North Division?

I know it's April and before the NFL draft which can change everything but I thought this would be interesting to post for all you NFL followers out there.

Who's going to win the NFC North this year?

Chicago

I know there is a lot of hype with Chicago and Cutler. Granted it's pretty legit. With Orton they were 9-7 and Kyle didn't play all the games. With no WR's they almost won the division. I could see them winning a game or two more with Jay at QB. Can their defense hold up? Getting older but these guys have all the experience. Forte and Olsen will be better with Cutler around.

Minnesota Vikings

They got all the talent at every position except one...QB. T.Jackson if he's the man he better improve and not turn the ball over. There is a reason why they got Rosenfel to compete and or back him up. I think the win the division if they get good QB play. Their defense is great and AP is amazing.

Green Bay Packers

2 years ago in the NFC championship game marching down the field in OT vs the Giants to go to the Superbowl. What happens? INT by Favre. I say all that to say this one game away from the Superbowl the next year Favre retires and wants to come back the Franchise says no Aaron is now our guy. They are nowwhere close to the record they needed to be. Is it Rodgers fault? No he played better than Favre did and would have. The defense let them down! If they can go back to form and with that #9 overall pick select a DE who will have immediate impact then they are winning the division. They have some great offensive weapons and need to improve their running game.

Detroit Lions.

0-16 to winning the division. No way. Well the Dolphins were 1-15 and won their division last year. Here's the difference they got the Big Tuna as GM. Granted Detroit has changed leadership. But they traded for Chad Pennington. Drafting Stafford is a good move but there is no way he's going to be as poised as the veteran Pennington. Even if he plays as well as Matt Ryan does he doesn't have the weapons. Calvin is a stud and Kevin Smith is pretty good but this team is rebuilding and this draft is crucial for them. 5-11 at best.

Who's going to win??? I am hoping for the Packers, it could be the Bears but I am thinking the Vikings unless the QB play is subpar then either Packers or Bears will take it.

Culter - Orton Trade

The Jay Culter fiasco is finally over…or is it? Today the Chicago Bears offered the Denver Broncos the most they were going to get.

Denver receives:

QB Kyle Orton

2009 1^st round pick (12^th overall)

2010 1^st round pick

2009 3^rd round pick (#84 overall)

Chicago receives:

QB Jay Cutler

2009 5^th round pick (140th overall)

I think there would have been a lot of interest for Jay Cutler. This kid has a great arm and is young. I am surprised that people would give up two 1st round picks, a 3^rd and a starting QB. Now we have heard for years and years the thing the Bears are missing is a stud QB. People are going to say how great the Bears are going to do now; a possible NFC contender but maybe a given division title. Hold the horses for a moment. I will tell you that the Vikings, Packers and Lions will have something to say about that.

The Broncos got so much for the disgruntled Cutler. Here’s a team who was on the rise. With Cutler they had the #2 offense in the league. Now their defence needed to be addressed. So Brain Dawkins signs with them at safety and they have the #12 overall pick to help that D out. Josh McDaniels was an idiot to try and trade Cutler to get the one hit wonder in Matt Cassel. Not only does Cassel not get traded to the Broncos but Cassel goes to the division rival the Kansas City Chiefs. As a result of that they lose Cutler. Not a good offseason for Denver.

Did the Bears win this deal or did the Broncos? Immediately you must say the Bears win this deal but only time will tell if the Broncos actually win with how those draft picks pan out.

Kyle Orton is no Jay Cutler but he’s no slouch either. This guy wins. In his 1^st year as a starter he put up decent #’s when healthy with subpar WR’s. Now he inherits Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Stokley. His value has to go up. Cutler on the other hand, definitely has his work cut out for him. Lloyd, Hester, and Davis aren’t very good at all as a WR core.

Many people are speculating that Denver will package up their two 1^st round picks in this years draft to move up the draft board to get a QB. Well they probably won’t get Stafford but the guy I would be targeting is USC QB Mark Sanchez. I wonder if they could get either unless they trade up. There are a few teams looking for a QB. Those teams ahead of Denver could be Detroit, St.Louis, maybe Seattle, and San Francisco.

I think they should keep Orton, his college system will be like the Denver system under coach McDaniels, and use #12 and #18 for major help on the defensive side of the football.

Who wins the deal? I am leaning on the side of the Broncos. Don't get me wrong San Diego is winning the division but the following year if Denver drafts right this could be a good trade for them.

What do you think?

Fantasy Value:

J.Culter, B.Marshall, and E.Royal all go down slightly.

K.Orton, M.Forte, G.Olsen all go up slightly.

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it.

Two points I need to add:
1. If Orton, as unhealthy as he was, led the Bears to a 9-7 season I must assume that Cutler will at least win two more games. 11-5 is a good record and division winner or at minimum a wild card birth.
2. The signing of Orlando Pace doesn't hurt. I think the Rams think he was done and they released him but the Bears disagree because they signed him for 15 million over 3 years. If the Bears are correct then this will help BIG time.

Where is Terrell Owens headed?

Yesterday there was semi shocking news in Cowboy land when they released Terrell Owens one of the leagues biggest, brightest , and talented stars (not to mention arrogant but many WR’s are but he has to be at the top of the list). Personally if I was Jerry Jones I would not have released him because Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton aren’t good enough (draft sounds like a good place to retool that WR core).

TO has been a blessing putting up great numbers & touchdowns over the year. But he comes with a cost as he is a major pain destroying all three teams he has been on.

So he’s a free agent but many teams would not take him all he needs is one to sign him at the right $’s and he’s back in business entertaining us and scoring touchdowns. Now not only does there need to be some teams showing interest taking the high risk and high reward but TO doesn’t want to go on a sub par team like the Bengals or Rams.

Who might be interested?

Baltimore Ravens: Now I know that this has been thought of before but Baltimore getting Ray Lewis back knows they need a top quality WR that opposing Defensive Coordinators need to worry and strategize about. This could put them over the top.

Oakland Raiders: Everyone troubled seems to be destined to Oaktown or Cincy but I don’t think TO would be interested to go to Oakland.

Washington Redskins: The Hoggs need a stud WR and TO fits that bill. He would help Santana Moss and Chris Cooley to get open. Can they afford him is the question? The scary thing would be if Haynesworth got upset look out TO. Daniel Snyder would make another splash like this for sure.

NY Giants: Listen Plaxico isn’t coming back and TO would love the Big Apple. I don’t know if Eli could handle him but you think Coach Conklin looks stressed on the sideline already he might have a heart attack if TO be on his team next year. But the Giants would have won their playoff game if TO be there. High Risk and high reward.

Minnesota Vikings: These guys have average receivers and need some help to make them contenders.

Indianapolis Colts: Goodbye Marvin Harrison HELLO TERRELL OWENS!!! Imagine Peyton to TO and Wayne, Gonzo and Clark as the other options??? WOW! Indy would never do this but it’s fun to throw out there.

Miami Dolphins: The fish surprised everyone last year and without a great WR. TO would help that team get over the hump.

Tennessee Titans: Gage isn’t a stud WR and TO might be a great fit with the Titans but would Collins have the arm strength to hit him deep?

Chicago Bears: They need a WR as bad as anyone. Orton to TO?

He’s going somewhere: “There are several teams that are interested in signing Terrell,” agent Drew Rosenhaus wrote in a text message Friday to The Associated Press. “I have been in negotiations with these teams. I will not identify these teams at this time. Terrell and I expect to have a deal in place by the end of next week if not sooner.”

So where do you think he would go and where would be the best fit for him?

"Get your popcorn ready because it's going to be a show!" ~ Terrell Owens

Who's got the better chance of making a serious run?

As people are jumping all over the bandwagons with the Sharks, Capitals, Penguins, and Red Wings there are 2 teams playing great hockey that might surprise those 'favourites'. The Penguins are done, when was the last time the Caps did anything in the playoffs?, the Sharks always seem to choke. The Red Wings even with their bad goaltending seem to be the best bet to win the Cup again. Especially with the addition of Hossa. 

The 2 teams I am talking about are in the West. It's the Flames and the Canucks. The last time these 2 teams faced each other was in Calgary and it was one of the best games of the year. The Flames have done it right by signing Kipper, Phaneuf and Iggy to long term deals. They added the right pieces to the puzzle with Cammalleri, Bourque and gave Bertuzzi a chance to reemerge. The Flames look great and ready to win the division. On the flip side, the Canucks have surprised everyone. Not the greatest record but they are playing better as a team. Luongo is back to form from his injury that sidelined him for 2 months. The RPM line is being lead by Demitra. The defensemen are finally healthy. The twins finally found their guy with Burrows who can play with the big boys and annoy the heck out of the opposition.

I am hoping these two teams will meet up this playoffs and give us the best hockey of the year. Who wins the series, who knows?

The east is a crap shoot but the team that will give most people a run for their $ is the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter and Richards are kicking butt. Gagne is finally healthy and Briere is coming back any day. Biron is playing much better after a slow start. Lupul, Hartnell, etc are playing hard every night. I personally think the Flyers will take out the Capitals in the playoffs.

Canucks @ Capitals

Game 3: Canucks 1 @ Capitals 5


10 shots for the Canucks!!! What else is there to say?

Capitals looked great averaging over 10 shots a period.

So glad I didn't pay the $16 for the Pay Per View event.

Flames vs Canucks

When I looked at the NHL schedule I didn't think it was good that Vancouver started the season vs the Calgary Flames. Back to back games vs a hated division rival? We could have easily been 0-2 to start the season. Well the opposite is true.

Game 1 - Flames @ Canucks
Whoever did the planning for the Luc Bourdon tribute should get a raise. That was the best memorial/tribute for a sports athlete. I was tearing up. It’s sad to see a young life gone so fast. He had that motorbike for 2 days?

To the actual game, there is not much good to say on the Flames side as Kipper got lit up like a Christmas tree letting in SIX goals. But on the Canucks end of things it was very encouraging. The question people keep asking is, ‘Where is the scoring going to come from?’ Well all our lines were clicking that night and Luongo was stellar getting the shut out 6-0!

Game 2 – Canucks @ Flames

After a deflating loss like that and coming home I did expect the Flames to come out with some jump and fire. They did just that scoring 3 goals in the 1^st period. I was thinking, ‘Oh no, the Flames are going to win this one with the hard hitting and hard working style as Kipper shuts the door.’ Of course I was saying that will all my confidence in the good ol’ Canucks who have never let me down before (haha). But to my surprise they came out with some jump themselves in the second period and where down 4-3 going into the 3^rd period. I like how Canucks coach Alain Vigneault commented about the game,

"It was typical Vancouver-Calgary game. It was physical, there were a lot of good scraps, it was a good hockey game. … We just stuck to what we needed to do, our guys battled hard. We wanted to win the second (period), we won the second, we wanted to win the third, we won the third, and we were able to get it done in overtime."

It was a good hard fought, never say die effort by the new look Canucks. Before we crown the Canucks the next Stanley champs we need to keep honest. That penalty by Bertuzzi on the boarding call on Ryan Johnson was a dive and a really bad call. But the worst is the non call the officials made when Burrows clearly tripped the Flames player. That non call caused the 2 on 1 break as Burrows went hard to the net and Demitra popped in the OT winner. Yes Flames fans be upset but us Canucks fans often get the shaft so we will take this one.

Other thoughts:

That fight between Mitchell and Iginla was awesome. Great left hand by Iggy when Mitchell was dominating most of the fight. And Rypien owned Prust.

Kipper was not stellar or even good. The fact that the last 2 years his stats have been declining and letting in 11 goals by him in 2 games is not encouraging. Is it time to start finding a replacement?

We can’t ask for a better start for the Canucks as they go into Washington to face the young guns led by Alexander Ovechkin last year’s league MVP. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

NHL 2008-2009 Predictions

Question: Should we even watch the NHL this year???

As a Canadian we have to say yes to this question but hear me out. As the picture shows Lidstrom and the Red Wings with the Stanley Cup, I think they are going back to back. Getting Hossa to reject a 9 yr deal with the Oilers to sign with the Cup champs is amazing. I know anything can happen especially with injuries and the Red Wings win the opener to the Leafs of all people but they will repeat (too stacked not to). Not only do they have Lidstrom, Zetterberg and Datysuk but Franzen and Hossa are great too. Yes Osgood is good enough to win another Stanley Cup. It’s over before it starts.

Let’s get to my other predictions:

Up and comers:

Here are the 6 teams to watch for this year…all these teams seem ready to make noise and earn respect in the league.

West - Chicago, Edmonton, and Phoenix.

Chicago and Edmonton in my books are making the playoffs. The young guns on these teams are talented and have a year under their belts. I was going to select Columbus because of Pascal LeClaire but Nash for some reason chokes most years.

Chicago looks like they are going to be great with the additions of B.Campbell and C.Huet this original six team has high hopes and they should. J.Toews and P.Kane are still the offensive studs on this team and will produce more points than last year.

Phoenix is finally doing something. The big news is the arrival of Olli Jokinen helps so much. The one name many people don’t know but will by the end of the season is rookie Kyle Turris. Goaltending will be strong with Ilya Bryzgalov (Anaheim wishes he was still around to back up Giguere or could have traded him to whomever).

Edmonton is a top notch team. They should win the Northwest division. The young guns of Gagne and Cogliano will step it up even more. Adding Visnovsky on the blue line with a healthy Souray will help on nights they need help in the scoring department. Their goaltending is fine and will be solid.

East – Carolina, Buffalo, and Ottawa.

Buffalo is loaded with talent. Their top line of Vanek, D.Roy and Pominville is deadly. And don’t forget about Tim Connolly who played great in the playoffs 2 years ago. This team has 3 good lines and will compete as long as Ryan Miller plays like he can. The Sabres are going to be in the playoffs.

Carolina is a team to take notice off. Led by E.Staal and R.Whitney they will surprise people. I believe Cam Ward will return to his solid play and carry

this team on some nights. Okay I am not sure they will be a lock for the playoffs but in weak Southeast division anything is possible.

What kind of big prediction is Ottawa? I know, it’s not a super reach but they way they ended last year they didn’t deserve to be in the playoffs. I believe when healthy this team has the best line in hockey hands down (Heatley, Spezza, and Alfredsson). Gerber will be great this season because if he isn’t he’s career is over (like Emery) and the city will run him out of town.

Contenders:

East – Montreal, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, and Ottawa.

Montreal is going to go as far as Carry Price will take them.

Philadelphia this team has 3 solid lines and a good goalie and they know how to work and fight to win.

Pittsburgh is not going to slump like many, many Stanley Cup runner-ups.

Washington will be better than last year because Backstrom and Semin will have great years playing with Ovechkin. Theodore is the only question mark for this team.

Ottawa is ready to show up.

West – Detroit, San Jose, Anaheim, Edmonton, and Chicago.

Detroit is the hands down favourite and why wouldn’t they be?

San Jose is stacked and will push Detroit for the President’s trophy.

Anaheim has the experience, the youth and the goaltending to contend again.

Edmonton might be the one that is the least favourite on this list because of Garon and Roloson. If you make the playoffs you never know what can happen.

Chicago might be too young but those youngsters are studs now. Sharp will help and if Havlat is healthy most of the year they got a good shot at being a real contender.

Question Marks:

?Where will Mats Sundin end up? Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t think he’s going to Vancouver (I wish) because if he didn’t sign by now for the money he’s not going to. If Montreal or Ottawa get him that could change things. He’s a consistent 75-80 pt player with bad wing men, imagine if he had good wingers! Will he come back soon, not until near the trading dead line, or stay retired? I don’t think he even knows.

?What Calgary Flames team will show up? Adding Cammalleri and Bertuzzi is definitely better than having Tanguay and Huselius. The guy who no one is talking about that will be a blessing is Rene Bourque. Why this team is a question mark is Kiprusoff. The bottom line is his stats have declined for 2 years maybe he was really great in the cup final run and that was it?

?Will the Canucks make the playoffs? Vancouver fans sure hope so. And management really hopes so because they need to keep Luongo happy and in their uniform to a long term contract. If some of their youth (Raymond, Elder, Hansen, Bernier, Kesler) finally consistently produce then they got a good shot at it.

?What will the LA Kings do? Will they struggle again or will these young kids finally generate the potential they have? Kopitar, Frolov, D.Brown, O’Sullivan and J.Johnson are young and need to step up.

?When will the Blue Jackets stop being BLUE? They got the talent and the goaltending the time is now! Too many ‘what if’s’ for my liking.

?Will the Flyers take the next step to the Cup final? Why can’t they…these guys learned a lot last year and have all the keys to do that but will they?

Hardware winners

Presidents’ Trophy: Hands down it’s Detroit but they will have to earn it because no one will lie down and let them take it.

Hart Trophy winner? Sidney Crosby is going to win it for the 2^nd time in 3 years. I know I am not going out on a limb here but he’s the new Gretzky but is Ovechkin the next Lemieux?

Norris Trophy winner? Lidstrom is the best and will continue to prove he is the greatest defenseman of all time. He will win his 7^th Norris Trophy.

Vezina Trophy winner? Brodeur should win it but it could be Lundqvist. The ballot will be Luongo, Lundqvist, and Brodeur.

Rookie of the Year? The ballot will consist of Stamkos, Turris and possibly Giroux (Philly if he is able to crack that stacked line-up). I am going with Turris in Phoenix.

The top five in scoring will be:

1. Crosby 121 pts

2. Ovechkin 114 pts

3. Heatley 105 pts

4. Zetterberg 102 pts

5. Ignila 98 pts

Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it.

My NFL 2008 predictions

Here's my predictions how the divisions and playoffs will end up in the NFL this season.

NFC

NFC East
Dallas- with the addition of Pacman and Zach Thomas this defense was good last year now it's great. Romo, Owens, Witten, Barber, Crayton, Felix, are all weapons that will produce BIG time.

Washington- This team is on the rise. They will struggle in a few games but they will be led by Campbell and Portis. Adding Jason Taylor to the defense doesn't hurt either. You will all be shocked to know that the Redskins will win a wild card birth into the playoffs. It's not how you start but how you finish.

Philadelphia- McNabb has no one to throw to. McNabb won't stay healthy. They won't make the playoffs. What's new?

NY Giants- These Superbowl champs will start the year off at 3-0 then after the bye week lose 4 of 5. In the last half of the season they will continue to lose 6 of their final 8 games. 6-10 isn't good enough. No Strahan, no Umenyiora = no chance.

NFC North
Green Bay- For all your haters out there this is a wake up call. This team even though better with Favre isn't that bad without him. Rodgers will be fine he's been getting ready for 4 years. They have a running game, a good WR core and a GREAT defense. The Pack will shock the football world by winning their division without #4 at QB. 10-6 is good enough here. I understand that QB's who replace superstars are terrible but I can't get Steve Young out of my thinking. What's the chances??? One in a million. So you're saying there is a chance!

Minnesota- Overrated, kind of. They have beefed up their defense (which was already good) and have a great O-line. But AP will not stay healthy and won't dominate like last year for a full season. When it counts AP won't be the Saviour. But they will win the wild card getting their revenge on the Packers with a win in Lambeau Field.

Detroit- The Lions are the Lions. Loaded with offensive talent but can't put it together. Megatron should be good but what else is a guarantee? In Detroit the only thing that could be guaranteed is that their defense is terrible and they don't make the playoffs.

Chicago- What is good about Chicago? Devin Hester and their defense when healthy. But this will not be enough to stay out of the NFC North cellar. The only way they could compete is if they get Culpepper to leave retirement and play QB for them.

NFC South
New Orleans- Oh when the Saint go marching in! I am not sold on Reggie Bush or Duece McAlister. I do like their aerial attack with Shockey, Colston, Meachem and Bush. I think this is a weak division and they will win it with a record of 9-7.

Tampa Bay- A close second this team overachieved last season. Garcia won't stay healthy and their defense is too old to keep up.

Carolina- Suspension of Steve Smith will in the end hurt them too much. I think they will be lovin' the running back duo of D.Williams and J.Stewart.

Atlanta- I do think putting Matt Ryan as the starter is making a statement to be the new face of the new Falcon era but this isn't college. Michael Turner will be solid but they will be behind in too many games to use him his full potential.

NFC West
Seattle- this division is truly flip a coin but you can't disagree with the Seahawks here. Hasselbeck is a top 10 QB without good WR cores year after year. Their defense is the best in the division and opponents have a tough time playing well at Qwest field. Julius will be a big upgrade for a bad running game last year.

Arizona- if Kurt Warner stays healthy and the starter this team will fight for the division title but will fail at the end.

St.Louis- These guys are finally healthy but I don't think they have enough to compete with the Hawks. Stephen Jackson will return to form, Bulger will be solid and Holt will continue to dominate but their defense is still really bad.

San Francisco- It doesn't matter who's the QB there (A.Smith, O'Sullivan, or S.Hill) their O-line is brutal. Superstar Frank Gore will want out. And the overhyped defense is going to be on the field way too much to be truly effective.

Wildcards- Washington & Minnesota

NFC Championship: Dallas beats New Orleans

AFC

AFC East
New England- I think these guys will dominate this year because they are great and because they have an easy schedule. Best strength of schedule in the last 15 years the Pats will finish 15-1.

NY Jets- Improved O-line, Brett Favre, improved defense, Richardson as their fullback, and a rejuivated Thomas Jones this team will bounce back. Not only will they bounce back but they squeak their way into the playoffs! Is Brett Favre that good? YES! Only 3 time MVP.

Buffalo- This team lost the most close games last season. I didn't see much for improvement in the offseason. Can't see them even getting back to where they were last yr.

Miami- the Dolphins are bad. Better with Chad Pennington but he's got no weapons other than Ted Ginn Jr. Ronnie Brown is hurt every year. In Ricky we trust? Not a chance. Losing Jason Taylor hurts too. This is the second worst team in the NFL.

AFC North
Pittsburgh- Strength of schedule not in their favour but these teams got to beat the Steelers. Big Ben is a top QB and his WR's are healthy and deadly. Parker will return to form. And they defensive will be good enough to win the division.

Cleveland- Lots of hype for this team but they can't beat the big dawgs when it counts. I can't see Jamal Lewis doing a repeat performance. Derek Anderson will he play all year if not Quinn doesn't have enough experience to win the division.

Cincinnati- They should have trade traded #85 when they had the chance. This team will struggle and they can't stop anyone. They might be last in the division.

Baltimore- Flacco gets the start but Troy Smith is the true starter here. McGahee is hurt and will be frustrated. This team is BAD. The best thing about it is Ray Lewis. They will compete in games but won't be able to get over the hump to actually put the nail in the coffin and win.

AFC South
Indianapolis- How many people are saying it's time for a new AFC South division champ? Well as long as Indy's defense is this good and with all these offensive weapons how can they be dethroned by the Jags? These guys are going to the Super bowl.

Jacksonville- Frustrated that they don?t win the division Garrad and the Jags will make the playoffs regardless. The best running tandem in football will pound the rock and be successful. This team is tough defensively and will make every offense earn every point.

Houston- The Texans have some promise but without a good run game or a good defense this team will not be able to string together enough victories to compete with the big boys. They will finish 7-9. Maybe the Texans are a good fit for Shaun Alexander?

Tennessee- Aggravation will be the result of this year as Mike Fisher is fired.

AFC West
San Diego- The Chargers will be super. Easily winning the division again they will go to the Super bowl and WINNING a championship.

Oakland- Russel, McFadden, and Curry will have good chemistry and compete in most games. In this bad division, the Raiders will emerge as the #2 team.

Denver- Culter can fire the ball and Brandon Marshall can catch but what else do they have? Defensively who are they going to stop? Too many questions not enough answers.

Kansas City- this is the worst team in football. 2-14 will win them the #1 overall pick. LJ is done, Croyle isn't good enough and their d is horrific especially without J.Allen the NFL sack leader.

AFC Wildcards > Jacksonville, NY Jets

AFC Championship: San Diego beats Indy

Super Bowl: San Diego beats Dallas

Hype & Disappointment

Finally after much waiting the NFL season is HERE!
So I got the HD on the BIG screen. The jersey's are up, the NFL McFarlane figurines are out, the food is prepared and the guys are over. Washington at NY Thursday night opener. This is a can't miss successful event.

What a disappointing game. The Giants come out of the gates looking great. Eli Manning has ALL day to make a good decision as the O-line dominated. Jacobs looked awesome as he knocked over defenders play after play. Manning runs on into the end zone for a rushing TD (who is starting Manning any way? Throw it to Plax!)

Washington on the other hand, looked bad. They couldn't get pressure on Eli in the 1st half. They could not get a 1st down if their life depended on it. Couldn't run the ball effectively. The Giants D looked relentless. Last drive in the in the second quarter Washington strung 3 1st down carries together and S.Moss gets in the end zone. Finally some life out of the Skins.

Half time - way shorter than the Super Bowl.

The Skins make some adjustments and finally start getting pressure on Manning. Not out of it they have a shot to make a few plays and get back into this game. The problem is they could not score. A few dropped balls and terrible play calling on 3rd down (pass it over the 1st down line on 3rd down not under!). And 2 int's that didn't get caught the Skins had their chances but couldn't get it done.

Overall,
Burress looks great 10 catches for 133 yds. 6-4, 260 pound monster Jacobs punished people for 116 yds. 1st half Giants looked playoff bound and in the 2nd half they couldn't get anything really going. They need some work. But a win is a win no matter how ugly.

Washington didn't give up the run game so that is a good sign for Portis. Who got the rock 23 times but only busted out 1 run for 23 yds but he averaged just 2.8 yards on his other 22 rushing attempts. Randle El looked great even though he had a broken hand (7 rec for 73 yds).

Here's the spin:
I believe not only will Washington turn it around but NY will not be good this season. Week 1 means nothing it's the next 15 weeks that mean everything.

I am just thankful there are another 15 games this weekend that won't all be like this one.